I'm just going to throw out some bands that I've seen live in the past 5 years or so....
Ones in bold are my favorite bands to see live, that I'm either really proud of having seen, that I think you NEED to see before you die, or that I've seen quite a few times. Ones in smaller font are the pretty exclusively local bands that I doubt you've heard of outside my hometown.
2005:
Jimmy Eat World
Green Day
The Obstacles
The Electric Shoes
Living Things
Brilliance in a Bun
Fatally Yours
2006:
Gnarls Barkley
The Killers
The Who
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Blind Life
The Last Saturday
Forever in a Day
Kill Hannah
Pink Spiders
Kill Hannah
2007:
Muse
My Chemical Romance
Call You Out
Harp's Hill
The Advisory
Downhill Runner
Plunket
Foghat
Burlington
Algren
Of The Opera
Shock Stars
Kill Hannah
Halfpenny Marvel
Army of Freshmen
Alkaline Trio
The Starting Line
Cute is What We Aim For
Hawthorne Heights
Escape The Fate
Young Americans
InnerPartySystem
Kill Hannah
2008:
Alanis Morissette
Matchbox Twenty
The Obvious
The Obstacles
Plunket
The Aura Lies
Teen Scene Dead
Plunket
Dot Dot Dot
Simplistic Urge
The Obstcacles
Alkaline Trio
View from IDA
All for Aspen
Dreaming in Stereo
Footlight Frenzy
Plunket
Seventh Guest
Science Ninja Team
Skalitalabs
Ratt
Scorpions
Hawthorne Heights
Smash Corps
Cigarettes and Caviar
Ad Astra Per Astrum
The Medic Droid
InnerPartySystem
The White Tie Affair
Kill Hannah
I Hate People
The Horrids
Cigarettes and Caviar
Another Perfect Getaway
Footlight Frenzy
2009:
Shift
Burn Halo
Avenged Sevenfold [you MUST see this band.]
Sweet Dreams Autumn
For Your Eyes Only
Memphis Graham
Made Avail
The Obstacles
Karma Tron
Band of Bruges
Arsony
Emergency Exit Only
Masque
Al Kapone
Hey Monday
All Time Low
Cobra Starship
50 Cent
Fall Out Boy
The Alternate Routes
Carbon Leaf
Burgundy Mischief
Get Down
Paint the Night
Danger is My Middle Name
Plunket
Fantastic Mammals
The Obstacles
Black Pajent
Becoming the Archetype
Hollywood Nightmare
Hypnic Jerks
Cigarettes and Caviar
The Bravery
Green Day
Fantastic Mammals
Hotel Ahead
The Ability
Okay Break
Footlight Frenzy
The Robbery
Whitechapel
Killers Within
Job for a Cowboy
God Forbid
All That Remains
Black Dahlia Murder
Trivium
Bullet For My Valentine
Killswitch Engage
Slayer
Marilyn Manson
Bury Your Dead
Suicide Silence [enjoy it ironically if you like, but you will enjoy it.]
Static X
Black Label Society
Mudvayne
Let's Get It
Watchout! There's Ghosts
Artist Vs. Poet
Jeffree Star [again re: ironically. damn good live show.]
Lovehammers
Plain White T's
Gojira
Lamb of God
Metallica [again re: you MUST see this band.]
Paper Route
Kill Hannah
She Wants Revenge
Cage The Elephant
Chevelle
NCM
Sore Eyes
Trauma Deville
Kill Hannah
The Attraction
The Action Blast
The Fold
Lucky Boys Confusion [Not sure if they're retired or what but if you get a chance, SEE THEM]
2010:
Unknown Hinson
God Forbid
Shadows Fall
Five Finger Death Punch
The Loved Ones
Scarlet Grey
AFI
We Are the Fallen
HIM
Airbourne
Chiodos
Bullet for my Valentine
3OH!3
Cobra Starship
Allister
Something Corporate
There for Tomorrow
Sing it Loud
The Secret Handshake
Set Your Goals
Breathe Carolina
Parkway Drive
Mike Posner
The Frantic
Everytime I Die
Dirty Little Rabbits
VersaEmerge
Pennywise
Andrew WK
Mayday Parade
Flatfoot 56
Suicide Silence
Face to Face
AM Taxi
Four Year Strong
Terrible Things
Alkaline Trio
The Casualties
Artist Vs. Poet
Whitechapel
The Rocket Summer
Just Left
Thieves and Villians
Mathletes
Take Cover
Famous Like You
HELLYEAH
Halestorm
Stone Sour
Avenged Sevenfold
Disturbed
HELLYEAH
Halestorm
Stone Sour
Avenged Sevenfold
Disturbed [Yes, I saw this tour twice, and it was well worth it.]
Wailers
New Politic
30 Seconds To Mars
Bob Dylan
Sidekicks
Brendan Kelly
Matt Skiba
2011:
New Medicine
Hollywood Undead
Stone Sour
Avenged Sevenfold
Middle Class Rut
30 Seconds to Mars
Adorn The Grave
Daylight Disrupted
Deny The Innocent
For When You Falter
Bullet for My Valentine
Three Days Grace
Avenged Sevenfold
In case you didn't get it, I'm quite a supporter of my Chicago bands: Kill Hannah, Alkaline Trio, Lucky Boys Confusion, even Mudvayne! I've seen KH and Alk3 over and over and over and would recommend them to anyone (:
